Toy



Feb. 21, 1939. k. P. HOGAN 2,148,374

TOY

Filed Feb. 28,, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I A INVENTOR: Kenneth J? myan .4TTOR NE Y5 Feb. 21, 1939. K. P, HOGAN 2,148,374

TOY

Filed Feb. 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VIIIIIIIIIIII WI NESSES; INVENTOR:

ATTORNE'YS.

Kenn/51372 1? i'foyan,

Patented Feb.'21, 1939 TO'Y Kenneth P. Hogan, Philadelphia, Pa..,assignor to Hogan Inventions, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Application February 28, 1938, Serial No. 192,928

11 Claims.

My invention relates to performing toys, and more particularly to a'gyroscopic type of toy. I have here illustrated and explained it asembodied in a clown-like doll, called Topper, adapted to perform bothhead-up and headdown, on either a plain surface, corresponding to adance floor or a skating rink, or on a string, corresponding to atight-rope. However, it will be apparent that in its broader aspects myinvention is concerned with the motions given to the gyroscopic ,deviceembodying it, and is not limited to a doll or any other particular formof toy. Various features and advantages of the invention will appearfrom the following description of a species or form of embodiment, andfrom the drawings. All the features and combinations shown or describedare, indeed, of my invention, so far as novel.

In the drawings Fig. I is a perspective view of a Topper dollpirouetting on a flat surface such as a piece of glass.

Fig. II is a side elevation of the gyroscopic gieyiee and certainassociated parts of the doll, illustrating one principle of itsperformance, as well as various details of construction.

Fig, III is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. II, illustrating anotherfeature or principle of performance of the doll.

Fig. IV is ,a fragmentary sectional view illustrating an adjustablebearing for the gyroscope rotor.

Figs. V and VI are fragmentary views illustrating the performance of thedoll on a string, one head-up and the other head-down.

Fig. VII is a fragmentary View, partly in section as indicated by theline and arrows VII-VII in Fig. II illustrating the attachment ,of afoot; and Fig. VIII shows a fragmentary sectional View taken asindicated by the line and arrows VIII VIII in Fig. II.

Fig. IX is a View similar to Fig. II, but at right angles thereto, alsoshowing the arms and hands of the doll.

Fig. X is a side view of a sheet metal clip for securing certain bodyparts; and Fig. XI shows a section therethrough, taken as indicated bythe line XI--XI in Fig. X.

In Fig. I, a doll embodying my invention is shownperforming upright on aflat, smooth, level, surface consisting of -a circular piece of glass[5, which may if desired be a mirror, and may have a felt pad on itslower side. Erect as if pirouetting on. the toe of one foot It, the dollis shown with the other foot 11 off the ground, and with both arms I8extended horizontally. This posture (as well asthat of the head 19)corresponds well to certain movements which the doll is adapted toexecute, but may be departed from or changed as desired.

As illustrated in Figs. II and III, the doll embodies a gyroscopicdevice or gyroscope 20 which keeps it upright and causes it to executemotions such as hereinafter described, and is included in the doll body,but is normally concealed under the dress 2! shown in Fig. I. Thegyroscopic device lu e-which may be of any suitable or preferred formand construction,--cornprises a relatively heavy fiy-wheel rotor 22whose (conicalended) spindle axis 23 revolves in upper and lowerbearings 24, 25 at opposite sides .of a ringlike- (wire) frame 26, whichnormally lies in a (vertical) plane through the axis 23. As shown inFigs. 11 and IV, the upper bearing 24 is formed in an adjusting screwthreaded through the frame ring 26.- The spindle 23 is shown with anaxially extending slot 21 for use with a string (not shown) to set itspinning. In the present instance, the gyroscope frame 26 also serves asa structural frame or skeleton for the doll, and is supplemented with aguard ring 28 (of smaller gauge wire) attached to the ring 26 atdiametrally opposite points, and lying in the (horizontal) plane of therotor 22. Preferably, the plane of the guard ring 28 is a meridian planesubstantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation at 23, and, in fact,an equatorial plane substantially midway between the upper and lowersides of the frame ring 26, where the bearings 24, 25 are located. Thisguard ring 28 serves to keep the skirt of the dress 2! from becomingentangled with the rotor 22 or its spindle 23.

As shown in Fig- II, the constant point of engagement 39 betweenthe'foot-support iii and the supporting device or surface I is under thelower bearing 25 of the rotor axis 23, almost in the (extended) axialline 3| of the rotor 22 and its spindle 23, but slightly eccentricthereto, preferably in front of the line. M. In this instance, the dollhas ice-skates 32 on its feet l6, l1, each skate being formed of piecesof wire suitably bent and having their ends fixed in the foot. Theconstant point of engagement 3!] consists of the sharp front point orbend of this wire skate. This affords a sharp, nearly frictionlesspivotal point at 3!! for the pirouetting of the doll. Adjacent thepivotal point 39 and eccentric to the axial line 3|, the foot support Ithas also a contact point 33 for occasionally or periodically engagingthe supporting surface l5, preferably further from the line 3! than thepoint 30 and in front of the latter. This contact point 33 is slightlyhigher than the pivotal point 30, so as to be generally out of contactwith the surface 5, yet to touch the latter when the doll tips slightlyin the right direction, as shown in Fig. IIL which happens from time totime in the precessional movement of the gyroscope.

As shown in Fig. V, the doll is adapted to perform on a supportingdevice such as a taut string 35, like a tight-rope dancer. For thispurpose, the supporting point for engagement with the string 35 lies atthe bottom angle of a notch 36 between the front end of the skate 32 andthe bottom of the foot I6, closer to the line 3| than the point 30,though slightly in front of said line 3|. As shown in Fig. VI, the dollis also adapted to perform head-down on a string, having for thispurpose a notch or furrow 31 across the top of its head, likewise, ofcourse, affording a point of support slightly eccentric to the axialline 3| (prolonged), as in the case of the notch 36, thoughapproximately in said line 3|. In this case, of course, the bearings 24and 25 are interchanged in position and function, since the head l9becomes the support of the doll, instead of the foot Hi.

Further details of the particular construction here illustrated areshown in Figs. II and VII.

As shown in Fig. VII, the feet l6, I! have ankle and leg portions 40 ofsheet metal, which are ordinarily concealed by the pantalettes 4| shownin Figs. I-III. Between the walls of each portion 40 is formed a socketinto which fits a downward projecting pin or stud 42 on the framering26, directly in line with the axis at 23, thus aligning the pivot point30 with reference to said axis. At the upper end of the portion 40, itswalls spread out to form a curved seat 43 for the lower side of theframe-ring 26. On the walls of the seat 43 are ears 44, which are bentover the ring 26 as shown in Figs. II and VIII to clamp and secure it inthe seat, thus connecting each foot I6, I! to the ring.

As shown in Figs. II and IXXI, a sheet metal clip 45 is used to attachthe arms l8 and head H! to the frame-ring 26. Made of a T-shaped pieceof sheet metal, this clip 45 is bent to fit on the outside of the upperquadrant of the ring 26, and is clamped thereto by ears 46 bent aroundthe ring as shown in Fig. II. Ears 4! at the lower end of the clip 45are bent around the ring 28 at either side of the ring 26, thus furtherclamping the clip to the gyroscope frame. The upper portions of the Tshown in Fig. X are bent into a springy collar 48 above the ring 25,around the adjustable bearing screw 24; and they have struck-upprojections 49 which engage in corresponding recesses in the wall of theneck portion of head I9, to hold the head securely in place. However,the head I9 is easily slipped off and on to permit adjustment of thebearing screw 2 The hands and forearms l8, l8 are mounted on the ends ofa wire 5|! whichmay be secured to the clip 45 by a tongue portion 5|struck out and bent up around the wire. This construction makes it easyto adjust the arms to balance the doll properly, or to change itsbalance and perfrmance when desired. The parts I6, |8, |9 may preferablybe of hollow celluloid, or other light construction.

When it is desired to make the doll perform, its dress 2| is lifted'suificiently to allow of setting the gyroscope 20 spinning as alreadymentioned, and is turned down again. The doll may then be placed on thesmooth, level surface I5 as shown in Figs. I and II. Owing to the slighteccentricity of the pivotal point 3|] relative to the axis of the rotor22, the gyroscope causes the doll to spin around on the point 30 ratherslowly,or, in other words, to pirouette,-the center of gravity of thewhole device remaining vertically over the point 30, or substantiallyso. As the gyroscope precesses, its axis 23 has a slow tipping orwobbling movement, somewhat like that of a top when started, so thatfrom time to time the contact point 33 touches the surface l5. Thistemporarily checks or slows the pirouetting movement, so that the dollappears to hesitate in a manner not unlike the pirouetting of an actualperformer.

The distance from the rotor 22 to the pivotal point 30the leg length",in other words-is to be proportioned according to the size (and speed)of the gyroscope, and the eccentricity of the point 30 relative to theline 3| should be proportioned to the leg length. The clowns performancecan also be controlled and varied by shifting the arm wire 50 in itsclamp 5|. The action also depends on the speed of the rotor 22 and onhow the clown is placed on the surface l5: e. g., if placed there with aforward tilt to start with, he will first spin a couple of times oneway, and then spin the other way.

When the clown is placed on a string as in Fig. IV or V, he does notspin, but has a motion of trying to keep his balance, owing to thesmaller eccentricity of the notch relative to the line 3| than of thepoint 33 relative to said line.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A gyroscopic toy device comprising a gyra- 1 tory rotor having anaxis of rotation, and a support provided with bearings for said rotorand having a supporting point which is the only constant point ofengagement with a supporting device and is eccentric to the axial lineof said rotor.

2. A gyroscopic toy device comprising a gymtory rotor and a supportprovided with bearings for said rotor and having a supporting point forengagement with a supporting device, and also having an additional pointof engagement offset relative to the said supporting point, for engagingthe supporting device to make the toy hesitate or pirouette in itsmovement.

3. A gyroscopic toy device comprising a gymtory rotor having an axis ofrotation, and a support provided with upper and lower bearings for saidrotor and having a supporting point for engagement with a supportingdevice which is cocentric to the axial line of said rotor, and alsohaving an additional point of engagement offset relative to the saidaxis of rotation and the first mentioned supporting point, for engagingthe supporting device to make the toy hesitate or pirouette in itsmovement.

4. A gyroscopic toy device comprising a gymtory rotor and a supportprovided with bearings for said rotor and having a supporting pointwhich is the only constant point of engagement with the supportingdevice, and also having a point of engagement offset relative to theaforesaid supporting point and sufficiently above said supporting pointto engage the supporting device only occasionally, when the gyroscopicdevice tips slightly, to make the toy hesitate or pirouette in itsmovement.

5. A gyroscopic toy device comprising a gymtory rotor having its axissubstantially vertical, and a support provided with upper and lowerbearings for said rotor and having a supporting point under the lowerhearing which is the only constant point of engagement with a supportingdevice and is slightly eccentric to the axial line of said rotor, andalso having an additional point of engagement eccentric to the axialline and to the aforesaid supporting point, and sufficiently above thesaid supporting point to engage the supporting device only occasionally,when the gyroscopic device tips slightly.

6. A performing doll comprising a doll body including a gyroscopicdevice with a rotor having its axis substantially vertical, and providedwith a frame having upper and lower bearings for said rotor, a supportunder the lower bearing having a pivotal point which is the onlyconstant point of engagement with a supporting surface, and is eccentricto the axial line of the gyratory rotor, and interconnected armsattached to said frame but shiftable relative thereto to vary theperformance of the doll.

'7. A performing doll comprising a gyratory device including a rotorwith its axis substantially vertical, and a frame with upper and lowerbearings for the ends of said axis; a doll body connected to the upperportion of said frame, including a head and arms and a garment extendingdown around the gyratory device; feet connected to the lower portion ofsaid frame, one in an off-the-ground position, and the other under,

the lower rotor bearing, the latter foot having a supporting point whichis the only constant point of engagement with a supporting device, andis eccentric to the axial line of the gyratory rotor.

8. A performing doll comprising a gyratory device including a rotor withits axis substantially vertical, and a frame with upper and lowerbearings for the ends of said axis; a doll body connected to the upperportion of said frame, including a head and arms and a garment extendingdown around the gyratory device; feet connected to the lower portion ofsaid frame, one in an offthe-ground position, and the other under thelower rotor bearing, the latter foot having a pivotal supporting pointwhich is the only constant point of engagement with a supportingsurface, and is eccentric to the axial line of the gyratory rotor, andalso a contact point adjacent said pivotal point but slightly higher, soas to touch the supporting surface from time to time as the gyroscopicdevice precesses.

9. A performing doll comprising a gyratory device including a rotor withits axis substantially vertical, and a frame ring with upper and lowerbearings for the ends of said axis; a doll body including a clip clampedaround said frame ring and carrying a neck collar, a head fixed aroundsaid collar, and arms attached to said clip; and a foot-support underthe lower bearing having a clip clamped around said frame ring, and alsohaving a pivotal point which is the only constant point of engagementwith a supporting surface, and is eccentric to the axial line of thegyratory rotor.

10. A performing doll comprising a doll body ineluding a gyroscopicdevice with a rotor having its axis substantially vertical, and providedwith upper and lower bearings for said rotor, and a foot-support underthe lower bearing having a notch therein eccentric to the axial line ofthe gyratory rotor.

11. A performing doll comprising a doll body including a gyroscopicdevice with a rotor having its axis substantially vertical, and providedwith upper and lower bearings for said rotor, and also including a headwith a notch or furrow therein eccentric to the axial line of thegyratory rotor, for engaging a stretched string.

KENNETH P. HOGAN.

